Fallen Angel
by pitifuldreamer666
Summary: A girl from Kawada's first class has miraculously survived the "game" and is now pulled into a new one. She finds the most deadly kid intriguing and decides to follow him. What will become of her when he learns about her existence? Kiriyama/OC Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

This fiction is using information from the **manga.**

Also, at parts where we don't know what happens, **I had to improvise so please don't be mad and say, "This never happened." or "They never said that."**

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Chapter 1

I participated. Even though my class' "game" is over and the "winner" has gone home, I'm still here. Still on this accursed island, plopped in the middle of the vast waters.

Everyone went mad. They killed or got killed. 'Which one am I?' you might be asking. Well, of course I'm in the latter group, but it's not like I murdered as if I were on a shopping spree. I fought just enough for people to walk around with a missing limb or two. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm weak or sympathetic. It's just that I didn't want to waste my energy on people who were bound to be killed later. But you know, just for the record, I made a few moves when it counted. In my eyes, the "game" is more like a chore I have to complete so I can have some leisure time later for playing chess with the old men around the neighborhood, since that was the one of the only forms of entertainment I could afford.

It's too bad that this "game" hasn't ended yet. Well, for me at least.

When I first washed ashore here, I thought it would have been nice to die like that. Without pain, without suffering. Just quietly sink to the bottom of the cold sea like a forgotten message in a bottle... To be honest, I've always loved the sea and didn't think the idea was bad at the time. Before I was entered in the "game," every year during summer break, I would bike, sit on the docks and watch the boats haul in their small catch until the sky turned black. I loved how the setting sun's reflection on the water's surface seemed to spread out and sparkle like stars and how the water, cool and clear, slipped through my fingers, so pure, it's as if it could wash your soul of sinful burdens buried under your skin and chained to your heart. But instead, I lived.

But anyway, getting back to the matter at hand, I heard there's a new class coming. Now I have to watch the "game" all over again, like a broken record.

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(Four hours later)

Overlooking the school, I perched myself in a tree, lanky and brittle, but I was able to hide among the lush leaves and twisted branches.

Some of the kids have left the building and are heading for the dense forest for cover. All spouting waterfalls of chilling sweat and burning tears that mixes together on their way down the kids' cheeks. Unable to comprehend what's happening, they are pushed over the edge with the insecurity and anxiety that their own life will be stolen from them by the people they trusted most, classmates, friends, and crushes. Fueled by the adrenalin and fear.

It's like a repeat of my class. They're all the same.

The first boy that stepped out carried a cross bow. Pretty lucky, compared to some of the ridiculous junk they call "weapons." For example: Mika Yazawa, one of my best friends, received a rock in her supply pack. A rock, can you believe that? Now think about it. Yes, a rock can do some substantial damage if used efficiently, but we're on an island for Heaven's sake, you can find a rock anywhere.

He seemed to be the "Genital Giant" type, they don't last long, I can tell you that. But I guess, you never know... He just might be able to rise up to the occasion. Personality, state of mind, belief, conception, it can all be changed in the blink of an eye. So who knows, maybe he'll win. My eyes followed his back as he hid in a corner of the building... He's hiding. Disappointing, but you really can't expect much from Junior High students.

Attention traveling back to the school door, my eyes widened at the next boy covered in scars, "Kawada?" I whispered to myself, covering my mouth with a shaking hand in disbelief.

After a few minutes of letting the facts sink in, I realized that this outcome wasn't as unexpected as it appeared. In the end, I guess it's no surprise that he won our class's "game" since he wasn't exactly the most caring and empathetic guy in the first place, which may have made it easier to take out your own classmates later on. But I mean really, getting in the class that was picked, for a second time?

I chuckled to myself. What an unlucky boy. It was almost funny.

_'I would definitely have to tease him about it later if we ever meet up.' _I thought, making a mental 'To Do' list.

Kawada looked both ways, like you would when crossing the street, and with a solid face, sprinted into the woods.

I then noticed a, I believe what most people would probably consider handsome, guy with slicked black hair that made him look like a gang leader or something. His skin, flawless and radiant, looked like it was chiseled out of white marble. His long slender legs took lofty strides as if he were walking on air and even from my distance, you could clearly tell that he carried himself with a certain mix of dignity and pride but conservative at the same time, like he knew he was far above us but wouldn't say it out loud. However, the most prominent aspect of him was his eyes. His eyes were empty like a black hole, they just seemed to suck you in and surrounded you with cold and darkness, maybe because it's just like the saying, 'The eyes are windows to the soul.' He was not the usual kind of arrogant boss who is so full of himself, but instead the very opposite, a calm and composed person. Not tears, no sweating, no nothing. There are no signs of a reaction to the thought he has to kill his fellow classmates in order to survive. Quite the poker face but it makes me wonder what's going on in his mind.

Like Kawada, Mr. Gang Leader also dashes to the woods, but in the opposite direction.

A couple of students later, Genital Giant finally comes out of the bushes and with his cross bow in hand, hauls himself onto the cross gable roof.

"Good plan." I commented, an excited smirk playing out on my face like a fox. Taking out the prey from above where their vision is lacking, he's smarter than I gave him credit for.

Oh, he shot a girl, her hair tied in a neat braid and held by a ribbon, in the head. That was fast. Usually, people under this sort of pressure will wait for the second or third chance that comes their way, in order to give themselves enough time to calm down and get a steady hand so they won't miss. But look, first few minutes up there and a girl is pinned to the ground... Nice shot.

Down the hall of the school, his face portraying the very image of optimism and confidence despite the situation he was unknowingly thrown into. Won't he be in for a surprise once he steps out that door. Greeting him on the outside are eerie winds sweeping across the dirt and a fresh corpse lying on the ground with a puddle of blood surrounding her head. In realization of the identity of the motionless student, he drops to his knees, completely drained of his upbeat energy that seemed to shine like the sun only a few moments ago. While the new boy is grieving over the loss of a classmate, an arrow slices his cheek from behind, barely missing his head. Swinging himself around, he comes face to face with Genital Giant, who is now standing on the roof, pointing his weapon at the boy, and releasing heavy pants, "A-heh! A-heh! A-heh!"

"Akamatsu... What have you done? Why?" the boy shouts. Grabbing his supply pack and backpack, the boy uses them as a shield and covers his vital organs in case Genital Giant decides to shoot again. "We don't have to play! We can beat this if we stick together!"

Genital Giant shook his head, "No! It's **me** they'll kill first! Even the girls! I don't want to be killed by a girl!"

God, men and their pride. It's not that bad being ended by a girl. Although the guys that ran into me didn't exactly submit to a peaceful death...

"That's why I did it! That's why I **have** to kill first!" he reasoned, raising his crossbow and preparing to take the third shot.

"No! Nobody has to kill! Listen to me! We can beat this! We can hook up with the rest of the class!" grinding his teeth, the boy states, "**No** one is **going** to **kill** you." But whether the boy really believed his own words was beyond me since people can lie so easily when their lives are hanging in the balance.

Whether he was lying or not, this act is simply hilarious! That he's not gonna let anybody kill Genital Giant... What a joke! I'm sure that they both heard the instructor say that it's, "Kill or be killed." or something along those lines, like mine did. It's that kind of naivete that gets you killed. Don't they know the rules? Only **one** person survives. Well... I guess I'm an exception.

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(Flashback)

_I was walking along the ledge of a cliff with the sharp jagged rocks looking up at me from below. And may I mention, it was not the best idea. The soil and mud squished under my weathered sneakers, the grass, slippery and wet, left green stains on my uniform whenever I sat down to rest, the air was humid like steam after a hot shower, and occasionally, droplets of water would slide off the leaves and splash onto my head which I had deducted that it was likely that it had rained recently, either a day or even hours before. The ledge crumbled beneath my feet and I fell into the ocean._

_By some miracle, I missed the rocks but the waves were still pretty rough. The impact of the fall knocked me out for a number of days, maybe even longer. How my body was able to stay afloat, how the soldiers seemed to overlook my disappearance when collecting the collars from other dead bodies, how my own collar didn't go off at the end of the "game" like it was suppose to, and how I had survived that fall with my life was a mystery to me, even to this day. Some people might say that it was a sign. A sign that I still had a purpose that remained unfulfilled, a sign that I was meant to stop the "game" once and for all, a sign that I was meant to live... but I don't believe one bit of it.  
_

_When I regained consciousness, I was washed up on the shore of an island. Weather it was the same one I was previously on, or a different one, I didn't know._

_My waist length golden hair was entangled with green algae and tiny shell pieces. My hazy emerald eyes were bloodshot and I couldn't get the taste of salt out of my mouth. A few rips and tares in my loose dress shirt and short plaid skirt, a slight headache from the intake of salt water, a bloody scrape or two, but alive none the less. I wasn't sure if I should be thankful or curse my God damned luck._

_I didn't want to go around calling for help and making smoke signals, out of fear that the ships would come over and shoot once they found out that I was alive since in the beginning, the instructor mentioned that they had the authority to. No boats came within a good ten miles around here so I was pretty much stranded for the next two years. Living off the land wasn't as hard as I had anticipated, since it seems the villagers were evacuated, similar to the previous island, leaving food in the fridge and small gardens in the yard. Besides, even if this was the same island, I probably wouldn't have recognized it, since I tried to stay away from places like these, where people could be resting. I even started considering living here for the rest of my life, but all too quickly, I had to pull myself out of a fantasy and into reality. I had to start asking questions and observe my surroundings._

_Why did people leave all their belongings here?_

_Why were food and pets still in their places and not taken along?_

_Why was the village evacuated?_

_It was then that I realized that the "game" had or will be taking place here. I could have abandoned this island and swam to the mainland but that would be risky. Besides, I wanted to see what happens to the next class. The next group of "players" on Death's list.  
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Oh? Dropping his shield, the boy stands up and raises his hands in the air, totally defenseless and open to attack. "Trust me on this, Akamatsu. Like I'm trusting you **not** to shoot me." he reassures.

Does he really trusts Genital Giant that much? You don't see that everyday. Or maybe this kid's scheming something. Sometimes, you really can't tell what people are thinking but so far it seems to be working like a charm.

"I've already played! I've played the game! Who trusts a killer? Whose friend am I now?" Genital Giant screeched in between sobs.

Or not. Too bad, it probably would have benefited them both to have one less enemy... that is, if one of them doesn't have any ulterior motives hiding under their facade.

"Shuya?" came a soft voice from the doorway.

Time seemed to freeze as both boys looked at the small, petite girl, somewhat resembling a delicate china doll, who stood under Genital Giant, wondering what was going on. Soft lips, silky hair, and slender limbs, she was in mint condition, except for her right leg which supported a steady stream of blood that stained her sock. It appears that the instructor may have went a bit overboard again. But I guess that's okay, it makes the "game" all the more interesting because predators often go after weak or injured prey first.

Genital Giant positioned his crossbow at her head and screamed, "Idiot girl! Get **with** the program!"

As he was about to fire at Doll, the boy, apparently called "Shuya," leaps for the arrow that, from before, skimmed his cheek. Plucking it out of the dirt and throwing it with such precision while still in midair, it hits Genital Giant in the left shoulder. I suspect Shuya must have frequented an activity having to do with throwing, possibly baseball or darts. Falling head first and landing on his back, Genital Giant is temporarily out for the count.

Shuya grabs Doll's bags and taking her hand into his, instructs her to stay with him and run... Uh oh. Shuya and Doll are heading in my direction. I hope they don't notice me, it might become a messy situation to explain to them. Besides, I'd rather not have the instructor and his observers know about me just yet. Absorbed in their own thoughts, the two students rush right past me without a second thought, even though I was only a few feet away from them. Close call, but a bit too close for comfort.

Everyone else after that couple was pretty boring if you ask me. Girls grouping up. Gangs coming together. Lovers waiting for each other and so on, predictable. However, for some reason or another I always had Mr. Gang Leader figure walking around in the back of my mind. He's somewhat similar to me. I want to see what happens to him. I want to know more about him. I think I'll catch up and see where he takes me for now.

Looking around to make sure no one was coming out, I hopped off my perch and bolted in the same direction as he did. This should be a fun "game."

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This is my first revised chapter of the story so two more chapters to go until I can continue this story!

If you have no idea of what I'm talking about, check out my comment at the bottom of chapter four and you'll find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After maybe half an hour of searching in the brush and bushes, I found myself running around in circles like a wild goose chase. Wiping the drop of sweat from my brow with the back of my hand, I took a sip of water from the canteen that was slung across my chest with a frayed rope. I'm not sure if this guy's fast, or I'm just slow, but I can't seem to find him anywhere.

"How troublesome." I groaned in annoyance, lightly scratching my head. I've lived on this island for two years and yet I still can't find this one guy.

Suddenly, off in the distance, I hear the rattling of bullets and empty shell casings. Unsure if it was Mr. Gang Leader or not, but with no other leads, I headed towards the battle ground. I came to an opening where water met sand and surrounding a dark silhouette, was a pool of red as vast as the sea itself. Sprawled out around him were four bodies which were probably the source of the pool. The full moon on his back making the outline of his figure glow in a mysterious yet elegant light.

"So... moist." he comments, tilting his head in fascination as a member of his group lies at his feet.

Killing off his own group. Saying stuff like how "moist" they were.

"... I knew I made the right choice!" I thought excitedly, almost proud of myself for picking a fresh mango out of a basket of rotting fruit.

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(The next morning)

What is he? He's had no sleep and has never stopped to rest ever since he got out of the school. How in the world does he have so much energy? Oh well, I guess this _is_ what I stayed here for in the first place.

Tracking a good mile behind him, I slowed down my pace until I was completely still, gazing at the rising sun. Standing on a thick, sturdy branch, where people are less likely to see me, the warm, radiant rays of light streaming across the bright cerulean sky. The horizon looks so close, it's as if I could just reach out my hand and grasp it. But it's then that I realize that, I have already fallen so far, there's no way I could reach ground level anymore, let alone the sky. I'm already so dirty. I'm not just gray, I'm black. But then again, I wonder if I was ever white to begin with.

Lowering my head and covering my eyes with my hand, the emotions from yesterday finally seem to kick in now, "Killing your own friends... That sure brings back some memories, huh?" I chuckled bitterly. "But it's better this way. There was nothing I could do for them... right?"

An image of three lifeless bodies reawakened in my mind. Their faces so familiar. They trusted me. But what am I doing? Why is it that I am here? My head was throbbing, like my brain was scrunched into a ball and smashed against my skull.

_'What am I doing?'_ I questioned, raising my head and slapping my cheeks with both hands in an attempt to snap out of my previous state of mind. _'If I let him get any farther, I'll loose him. Got to focus.'_

_Bang, bang, ban, bang, bang!_

"Looks like he's at it again." I sigh silently, it's almost like I'm looking after a little kid in the supermarket.

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(10 minutes later)

"Don't leave me... Don't you dare!" the small girl warned, holding a girl much taller than herself, in her arms as they both lay on the floor. "We'll... We'll go together. Always together."

I clenched my chest, a sharp pain strangled my heart like a rope tightening around the organ until it would burst from the pressure. I remember a time when even I considered that option for my friends and myself. It was during my first "game" experience, two years ago, with all my classmates.

Mr. Gang Leader raised a gun to Bean's head from behind. _Bang!_ Bean slumped over and fell on top of Beanstalk, her brains crawling out of her head. Lowering his guns, he leaves the hilltop, leaving Beanstalk for dead. I peak inside the hilltop lookout and spot the two girls tumbled over each other in a pile, their bodies identical to swiz cheese. He always leaves behind such a mess. He's like a red paintbrush, leaving a trail wherever he goes.

Concluding that they have both left this world, I turned around to exit the lookout, but as I stepped away, I made out a tiny twitch from Beanstalk. Still alive, huh?

Her lips quivered, "Shu?" she muttered in a hoarse voice.

'Shu?' Does she mean 'Shuya?' I guess I might as well send her off on a good note, not that I'm into this kind of community service stuff. Beanstalk was probably going to ask who I was, but I think we both knew she wouldn't hold out for that long, so I lowered my head to her ear and whispered in a soothing tone, "The boy who just shot your friend wasn't Shuya, but you probably already knew that, right?"

Her face became less tense and she seemed to mouth out the words, "Thank you." as she wearily lowered her eyelids, but maybe that's just my imagination. I'm not a perfect lip reader and it's not like I did anything special. Never did I do anything worthy of someone's gratitude. And even if I did, they probably would have taken it back after hearing about what I had done to my own friends. Lifting myself from the floorboards while lightly dusting off my bell bottom jeans, faded and ripped, that I "borrowed" from one of the abandoned houses, I grabbed a water bottle from Bean's bag and jumped back into the woods to follow Mr. Gang Leader's trail.

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At the base of the hill, Shuya, Noriko, and Kawada listen to their whole conversation through the microphone.

"Noriko," Shuya began, "do you remember a girl with that voice in our class? The one who was consoling Yumiko on the hill after the shooting... She doesn't sound familiar to me."

There was a long pause as she fumbled over her memories of classmates, "...No, I don't."

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This is the second revised chapter, which means there is one more chapter to go until I can continue the story! However, I think the third chapter will need the most work because of its terrible condition, so please be patient.**  
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**P.S. The mango is called the "King of Fruits" in India.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Leaning back against a large tree, Mr. Gang Leader seemed so small in comparison, unlike his intimidating presence that seems to surge out like a tsunami and swallow you whole. The presence that would make any Yakuza wet his pants like a three-year-old having a bad dream. A genital breeze blowing through his glossy, raven hair as he clenches his right hand around the machine gun with a finger on the trigger. His eyes, displaying a blank stare that wasn't really focused on anything in particular, could easily trick the untrained eye into believing that his guard was down; when in reality, that's exactly what he wanted.

Mr. Gang Leader would lure you out with the promise that he would be easy prey to catch, but once you take the bait, it's over. It would be done without him even having to stand up because he has been waiting for you. A shiver ran up my spine and dispersed into my limbs, what a frightening opponent.

I breathed a sigh of relief, at least he's taking a break. Overexerting yourself with strenuous activity for longer than an hour without any food or water to replenish your sodium and water levels can damage your body...

I blinked, not only dumbfounded but shocked at this sudden thought. This new found concern I seemed to have for him was quite out of character for someone like me. So why am I worried over his well-being? Am I sick? Perhaps I ate something bad? It's not like I truly care about him on a deep level or anything, I'm not his mother. I just find him intriguing, that's all. And I don't want him dying on me when things finally became fun around this boring, deserted island. I concluded, nodding my head in agreement with my logical theory, which could practically be called 'truth' since it seemed to be the only possible explanation to this puzzling phenomenon.

With soft panting in the background, I crouch in the branches, waiting for his next move and planning my own, like a game of chess... Wait a minute... 'panting'? I spin around on my heel, my head swinging from left to right in search of the source. It's not coming from me, and it's certainly not coming from Mr. Gang Leader, so who? Who is watching who? Is this unknown "player" watching Mr. Gang Leader or me?

If they're after Mr. Gang Leader then I don't have much to worry about. But if it's me, that's a whole different story. How can I eliminate someone, having them scream for their lives or the sound of bullets penetrating their skulls, without Mr. Gang Leader noticing? Biting the bottom of my lip, I quietly growled in frustration at the challenge presented. If he realizes my existence, it's 'Game Over' for me and my observations. I really want to know what's going on in his head and my observations will help me attain that. You could even say it's my goal in life. Or at least for the moment, until I find something else to do. So now, where is that little rat?

My eyes cautiously scanned over the surrounding greenery until I came upon a pompadour hairstyle lying in the grass. He was probably from Mr. Gang Leader's previous group, not that I'm surprised. There is always a couple disloyal mutts in the pack when survival is involved. He licked his cherry red lips and inhaled the sent of a used cigarette with excitement... That is a guy, right? He's wearing thick mascara and blotchy lipstick, but he's also wearing a boy's uniform so he must be a guy. I think... I hope so, because that would be one creepy looking girl. **(No offense to all you people who look like Sho Tsukioka)**

Weighing my options, I decided that I should probably just stand back for now to get an idea of what this rat wants. After a few minutes of planning out my defense strategy in the possibility that I will have to engage in combat with Rat, Mr. Gang Leader jumped down the rough slope. He slipped in and around natural obstacles like tree roots and jutting rocks as if he were mist. Maybe I'll just head in the opposite direction from Mr. Gang Leader for a couple miles and see who this guy follows.

I silently darted up towards the more mountainous region of the island, sprinting as fast as I could until my lungs felt like they were going to burst. Slowly turning my head, I glance over my shoulder, expecting to see a figure running behind me. But there was no one. No one was after me, it was just Mr. Gang Leader.

I guess, I'll be able to take a breather for now, and since I'm pretty sure Gang Leader noticed Rat's stalking, he'll take care of him for me. It's too risky to have two on one, where neither are your friend. Too unpredictable, trust me. But maybe I'm overestimating Mr. Gang Leader capabilities. Would he be able to sense it if someone was following him? He's just a junior high student after all.

But then I remembered something. Just for a second, before I started running, I thought I caught a glimpse of Mr. Gang Leader releasing the smallest twitch, when I turned my back on him. My sweat froze into ice as I covered my mouth with my hand in shock. Did he realize? Did he realize I was with him? All this time, was I just dancing in the palm of his hand? "No, you don't know that yet. Gotta stay calm, keep my head cool." I repeated, trying to convince myself that it was true but to no avail. I decided to try to distract myself by using other forms of entertainment.

Maybe I'll go see how all the other "players" are doing to clear my mind, like Shuya or Kawada. I'm sure Kawada will be pleased to see me. I thought with sarcasm.

I let out a soft sigh, it's going to be lonely without him around. I've kind of grown accustomed to seeing his emotionless face and unhesitating hands making the gun spew out shell casings, even though it's only been a couple hours. I murmured under my breath, "You better not kick the bucket before I get back... Or else this would have been a huge waste of my time." I added, trying not to make myself sound like I cared. Not expecting anyone to actually hear me, I continued on my uphill path, not seeing Gang Leader pause before he entered the bathroom and turning his head in my direction.

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Sorry for the short chapter again.

**P.S. From now on, I'm going to kind of mess up some of the plot and character deaths, if you don't mind. **Since now, she's going to get a little more involved in the story, so please don't be mad. I'm trying my best to make this a Kiriyama/OC fanfiction.

**P.P.S. Yakuza= Japanese Mafia  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the wait everyone. I know this is the worst excuse but I'm going to use it anyway: I was busy. Yes, I know it's hard to believe but I do have a life outside of fanfiction.

Also, the first scene, before she came in, **I used the quotes from the manga**, but the rest is mine. And I'm not sure what kind of people are going to read this so I * the swears just in case...

I do not own Battle Royale (no duh)

_Italics_= writing

_'Italics'_= thinking

"Italics"= talking

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Chapter 4

_I can't find it anywhere! I know where I left it. It's gone! _read the note, Yutaka's hands shaking which made the scribbles on the paper even harder to read, especially in the dark.

"Now what?" Yutaka's voice quivered, tears flowing from his eyes like faucets. "Now what do we do without the pulley? It's lost!"

Shinji, eyes bugging out of their sockets and mouth gaping, could not believe what he had just read and heard.

"I'm sorry, Mim..." Yutaka apologized, his words small and muffled.

Sweating and grinding his teeth, Shinji's face turned a cherry red. _'Can't... find it? You can't find it? Son of a... Sniveling little incompetent! Watch the stuff... That's all I asked. Just watch the f*cking stuff! Who got the f*cking nap? Sh*t! I'm doing all the godd*mn grunt work! Avenge Fumiyo? You couldn't even wipe your own *ss without an instruction book! And even then you'd f*ck up!'_ Hands clenched in a fist, his knuckles white as snow, Shinji stomped towards Yutaka. His mouth contorted in frustration, Shinji thought, _'I'd be better off on my own!'_

"M-Mim?" Yutaka squeaked, his bag and rope slipping off his shoulders and onto the concrete floor.

"Stay frosty, Shinji. Control. That's the key..." He stopped in his tracks as he heard his uncle's words echoing in his ears. "You lose your cool, it's over. That's how the critical mistakes get made." Each syllable so clear, it was as if he were standing right next to him and talking. Even though his uncle was already dead. "You can't keep yourself under control... No way you'll ever control a situation... Eh?"

Lowering his eyelids, Shinji sucked in a gallon of air through his nose and exhaled from his mouth. _'Stay frosty... Right... You knew he was a f*ck-up when you hooked up...'_ he reminded himself, smirking at his revived levelheadedness. 'Control the situation...'

"Okay... Focus, Yutaka. It didn't get up and walk away." Shinji comforted him, while Yutaka was still shaking in his shoes. _'Yutaka, if you only knew how close I was to...'_

"...W-Walk?" Yutaka stuttered, confused by the sudden change in attitude of his friend.

"It's in here somewhere. Between the two of us... we'll find it." he reassured with a sunny smile, bright and warm as the biggest star in our solar system.

"Yeah... We'll find it." Blinking away the tears, Yutaka got on his knees and searched the floor with his hands. His spirit and determination rekindled.

Checking under one of the many tractors in the spacious shed, Yutaka exclaimed, 'This is crazy! Where did it go?'

"This is so not good." Shinji muttered under his breath. "Anything?"

Yutaka shook his head, disappointed in the lack of their luck.

"Looking for something?"

The two boys whipped around their heads to the unknown voice. In the back corner, shrouded in shadow, a girl, lightly tanned and lean, was perched on a rusted tractor. Dangling the missing pulley by her index finger, as if taunting them, she grinned.

Pointing his Beretta 92 at the girl's head from about 9 feet away, Shinji questioned, "Who are you?" his eyes, hard and suspicious, glared at the unexpected guest.

Averting her gaze to the ceiling, she sang, "Can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Beacuse..." Her eyes beamed with that grin still plastered on her face like a Cheshire cat as she explained, "I don't like you."

_'What? What's that suppose to mean?'_ Utterly confused at her reasoning, both boys arched their eyebrows, probably wondering whether she was sane or not.

The girl hopped off the tractor, glided over to Yutaka, her face inches from his own and asked hopefully, "So, what are you guys planning on doing with this pulley and all that rope?"

"W-we, u-umm, a-are..." he stuttered, cheeks becoming bulging red apples, unaccustomed to the close proximity with a girl other than his mother.

"None of your business!" Shinji cut in sharply. "If we tell you that kind of stuff, we'll be the ones in trouble and everything will be ruined... But if you're willing to tell us what we want to know, I might reconsider it."

Putting a finger to her small chin, she tapped lightly as she thought, "Well, I can't tell you my identity or why I'm here, but my favorite color is brown and my favorite food is melon bread." the girl suggested, trying to make a compromise.

Tightening his grip in the gun, Shinji snarled "Get out."

"Oh?" she arched an eyebrow in amusement and intrigue. "Would you really shoot that with your friend so close by?" she teased as she grabbed Yutaka by the back of his uniform's collar and held him in a headlock in front of her.

"D*mn you..." Shinji growled, grinding his teeth in frustration.

Releasing the little boy from her grip, she lifted her hands in the air and chuckled. "Calm down, Kid. Don't get so angry. See? I was just kidding. Jeez, can't you guys take a joke?"

Steadily backing away from her, Yutaka tried to find a space where he could slip into and put some distance between him and this strange girl. An untied shoelace hanging on his sneaker, he stepped on it and fell backwards, banging his head on a couple of rotting wooden creates and tarnished tin tool boxes. "Youch!" he howled, curling up in a ball while clutching his hair and scalp as if his brains were going to spill out.

"Hey Little Buddy, no hard feelings right?" she said, dropping the pulley on the floor and offered her hand to Yutaka to help him up.

"What part of 'get out' don't you understand?" Shinji shouted at her.

"The 'out' part." she resorted.

Turning his back on the girl in an attempt to drown out her cunning words and persistent argument, he calls to Yukata, "Come on, we're going." as he marches to the opening of the shed.

The boy, getting up off of his butt, grabbed and hauled the bags, rope, pulley, and other materials onto his thin frame with great effort. He glanced warily over his shoulder at the girl who was still standing in the same spot as when she tried to make a friendly gesture towards him. Biting his lip with his buckteeth, he turned his attention to Shinji's back that was getting smaller with distance and chased after him.

Popping their heads out of the opening, they stopped cold in their tracks as a squeaky voice reached their ears, "M-Mi-Mi-Miruma?"

In alarm, Shinji flings his gun right up to the undetected figure's nose, prepared to shoot if needed be.

"No! D-don't! It's me! It's me! Don't shoot!"

The two boys immediately recognized the familiar voice that they had heard everyday in homeroom, the hallways on their way to class, near the shoe lockers when coming in and leaving school, and on the other side of double player Bout Fighter games at the arcade.

Holding his hands above his head with a kitchen knife in his right, he shouts, "It's me! Keita! Ijima! Keita Ijima!" in an attempt to calm down the situation.

The girl snickers as the whole event unfolds from about seven yards away. Little Buddy seems glad to meet up with another classmate and accepts him with open arms, Kid, on the other hand wasn't so excited about the new addition as his friend was. The Newcomer just stood there sheepishly behind Little Buddy, as if he were being introduced by his big brother to a pretty girl. "He he he he." her laughter echoing, soft but cold.

* * *

Again, I apologize to everyone, for being so slow to type up a new chapter and that although I tried to make this one longer, it is still short and sucks. So don't blame me, I tried. I really did.

I looked back on my previous chapters for this story and to my horror, I found that they were unbelievably short! I'm so sorry I made you guys read such terrible chapters! Which is why I will be spending some time on revising these chapters and making them longer.

Whether you agree with my decision or not, I'm doing it anyway so please be patient!

And thank you to all you crazy people that actually had the patience to wait for this chapter and reviewed: kyoko, kiara, Nina, rayka, RWolfe94, and Hedgehogs Rock My Socks Off.


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